DRDO and other DPSU and private sector officials during formal transfer of technology at SAMANVAY 2025, Bengaluru. (Photo: DRDO)
Bengaluru: The Defence Research and Development Organization handed over 12 licensing agreements for technology transfer covering eight defence systems to industry partners at the opening session of SAMANVAY 2025 – a two-day industry engagement event in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
The technology transfers, part of the government’s push to deepen private sector involvement in defence manufacturing, were presented to companies including Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited, and several smaller firms at the event organized by DRDO’s electronics and communication systems cluster.
The secretary, department of defence research and development and chairman, DRDO, Dr Samir Kamat, virtually addressed the gathering and said the organization was partnering with industry to develop indigenised solutions for the armed forces. “From research laboratories to real-world capabilities, DRDO is partnering with the industry to realise the government’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’,” Kamat said.
Among the technologies transferred were the D-29 electronic warfare suite from the combat aircraft system development and integration centre; Natsat handheld and mini terminals from the defence electronics application laboratory; the Sarang electronic support measure system and Dolphin II from the Defence Electronics Research Laboratory.
The instruments research and development establishment transferred four technologies, including a laser beam rider guidance system with eye-safe laser range finder to Bharat Electronics and Bharat Dynamics, an athermal laser target designator to Bharat Electronics, and laser photoacoustic spectroscopy equipment to four companies including DH Limited, Ghaziabad; Enertech Engineering, Hyderabad; Beam Infotech, Gurgaon; and Nibe Limited, Pune.
The microwave tube research and development centre transferred M-type dispenser cathode technology to Panacea Medical Technologies, Karnataka.
The event, attended by over 150 industry partners including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups, aims to familiarize companies with DRDO’s policies and procedures. The chairman said the organization had established industry interaction groups at all its laboratories, centres and establishments to enhance understanding of its processes.
The guest of honour, Dr RA Mashelkar, a Padma Vibhushan awardee and former director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, spoke on innovation and research collaboration, suggesting ways in which industry and research institutions could work together more effectively.
The director general of the electronics and communication systems cluster, Dr BK Das, appealed to startups to develop innovative ideas for large systems and urged major industries to support startups and MSMEs in transforming concepts into products.
SAMANVAY 2025 comprises 10 sessions focused on industry engagement, partnerships with development and production partners, and deliberations on enhancing the defence research and development ecosystem, DRDO policies and reforms, and challenges ahead.
The technology transfer drive is part of a broader effort by DRDO to accelerate indigenous defence manufacturing. In June 2025, the organisation transferred technologies for nine defence systems to 10 industry partners at its vehicles research and development establishment in Maharashtra. In August, it handed over three advanced materials technologies developed by its defence metallurgical research laboratory in Hyderabad.
India’s defence production reached ₹1.51 lakh crore in the 2024-25 financial year, an 18% increase from the previous year, with the private sector’s share rising to 23%, as India Sentinels had reported in August. Defence exports stood at ₹23,622 crore, up 12% year-on-year, according to government data.
DRDO’s revised transfer of technology policy, announced in 2025, has streamlined processes for transferring technologies to industry, with particular focus on MSMEs and startups. The policy waives technology transfer fees for certain categories and provides financial support through the technology development fund, which offers up to ₹50 crore per project.
